--- title: Ecclesiastes 10 — the Tanakh in Hebrew, Aramaic and English, with trees description: Ecclesiastes chapter 10 of the Tanakh (Ketuvim — the Writings) in Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), every verse with its syntax tree and pragmatics. It begins: Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/10/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tanakh/) / [Ketuvim](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/) / [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/) / chapter 10 # Ecclesiastes 10 20 verses, each with its tree and pragmatics: Hebrew, Aramaic (the Targum) and English (JPS 1917), the English sentence by sentence. - [10:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.1/) — זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ שֶׁמֶן רוֹקֵחַ יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד סִכְלוּת מְעָֽט׃ — Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour. - [10:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.2/) — לֵב חָכָם לִֽימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃ — A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left. - [10:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.3/) — וְגַם־בַּדֶּרֶךְ כְּשֶׁסָּכָלהֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ חָסֵר וְאָמַר לַכֹּל סָכָל הֽוּא׃ — Yea also, when a fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. - [10:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.4/) — אִם־רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל תַּעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מְקוֹמְךָ אַל־תַּנַּח כִּי מַרְפֵּא יַנִּיחַ חֲטָאִים גְּדוֹלִֽים׃ — If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences. - [10:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.5/) — יֵשׁ רָעָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּשְׁגָגָה שֶׁיֹּצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁלִּֽיט׃ — There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from a ruler: - [10:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.6/) — נִתַּן הַסֶּכֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִים רַבִּים וַעֲשִׁירִים בַּשֵּׁפֶל יֵשֵֽׁבוּ׃ — Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place. - [10:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.7/) — רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל־סוּסִים וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים כַּעֲבָדִים עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ — I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. - [10:8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.8/) — חֹפֵר גּוּמָּץ בּוֹ יִפּוֹל וּפֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָֽשׁ׃ — He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him. - [10:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.9/) — מַסִּיעַ אֲבָנִים יֵעָצֵב בָּהֶם בּוֹקֵעַ עֵצִים יִסָּכֶן בָּֽם׃ — Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby. - [10:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.10/) — אִם־קֵהָה הַבַּרְזֶל וְהוּא לֹא־פָנִים קִלְקַל וַחֲיָלִים יְגַבֵּר וְיִתְרוֹן הַכְשֵׁרחָכְמָֽה׃ — If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct. - [10:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.11/) — אִם־יִשֹּׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלוֹא־לָחַשׁ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשֽׁוֹן׃ — If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage. - [10:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.12/) — דִּבְרֵי פִי־חָכָם חֵן וְשִׂפְתוֹת כְּסִיל תְּבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃ — The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. - [10:13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.13/) — תְּחִלַּת דִּבְרֵי־פִיהוּ סִכְלוּת וְאַחֲרִית פִּיהוּ הוֹלֵלוּת רָעָֽה׃ — The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness. - [10:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.14/) — וְהַסָּכָל יַרְבֶּה דְבָרִים לֹא־יֵדַע הָאָדָם מַה־שֶׁיִּֽהְיֶה וַאֲשֶׁר יִֽהְיֶה מֵֽאַחֲרָיו מִי יַגִּיד לֽוֹ׃ — A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him? - [10:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.15/) — עֲמַל הַכְּסִילִים תְּיַגְּעֶנּוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָדַע לָלֶכֶת אֶל־עִֽיר׃ — The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city. - [10:16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.16/) — אִֽי־לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃ — Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, and thy princes feast in the morning! - [10:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.17/) — אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן־חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ בִּגְבוּרָה וְלֹא בַשְּׁתִֽי׃ — Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a free man, and thy princes eat in due season, in strength, and not in drunkenness! - [10:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.18/) — בַּעֲצַלְתַּיִם יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה וּבְשִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם יִדְלֹף הַבָּֽיִת׃ — By slothfulness the rafters sink in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh. - [10:19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.19/) — לִשְׂחוֹק עֹשִׂים לֶחֶם וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח חַיִּים וְהַכֶּסֶף יַעֲנֶה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃ — A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things. - [10:20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC.10.20/) — גַּם בְּמַדָּֽעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל עָשִׁיר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת־הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל כְּנָפַיִם יַגֵּיד דָּבָֽר׃ — Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. - ← previous: [Ecclesiastes 9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/9/) - next →: [Ecclesiastes 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/11/) - ↑ back to [Ecclesiastes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/ECC/)